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Jataka Stories
Bhadra- Ghata Jataka
The Bodhisatta was once Indra, king of the gods. Before this, he was a wealthy merchant who was righteous and generous. When he died, he left his good-for-nothing son four hundred million coins. The son lived his life for alcohol and…
Nacca Jataka
The Bodhisatta was once a golden mallard. All the birds chose him as their king. He had granted his lovely daughter one wish, and she asked to choose her own husband. So the Bodhisatta called all manner of birds to gather. Taken by his…
Kaya-Vicchinda Jataka
The Bodhisatta was once an ascetic. He was born into a brahmin family, and as he started to amass some personal wealth, he fell dreadfully sick with jaundice. No doctor could help him. As he and his family worried he might die, the…
Nigrodhamiga Jataka
The Bodhisatta was once a deer. He was golden in hue and perfect in form and was the leader of a large herd. He was friends with another deer, Sakha, who had the same golden color and also led a large herd. The king enjoyed hunting, and…
Tittira Jataka
The Bodhisatta was once a partridge. He was best friends with a monkey and an elephant, and the three of them treated each other as equals. As time went on, they felt it was unseemly for them to act as equals and the subordinates ought to…
Sakuna Jataka
The Bodhisatta was once a bird who led a flock that lived in a large tree. One windy day, the branches rubbed against each other hard enough to produce smoke. The Bodhisatta saw this and knew that if the strong wind continued, the tree…
Vattaka Jataka
The Bodhisatta was once a quail. Just after he’d hatched, while still too young to walk or fly, a forest fire swept toward his nest. Unable to flee as all the other animals had, including his parents, the Bodhisatta performed an act of…
Maccha Jataka
The Bodhisatta was once a king’s chaplain. One day a large fish was affectionately playful with his wife as the pair swam in a river. She noticed that a fisherman had just tossed his net and she quickly swam around it. But she did not warn…
Sakuna Jataka
The Bodhisatta was once a bird who led a flock that lived in a large tree. One windy day, the branches rubbed against each other hard enough to produce smoke. The Bodhisatta saw this and knew that if the strong wind continued, the tree…
Abbhantara Jataka
The Bodhisatta was once an ascetic who had many followers studying with him in the Himalayas. One time they all went down from the mountains to get salt and seasoning, and took up residence in a park near the king’s palace. The Bodhisatta…
